Look in the owners manual and it will give you the procedure for starting the vehicle if your 12 volt battery is indeed discharged. The 12v NIRO HEV has a button/switch just for these situations.

Not using a Hybrid battery for months is not a good idea for a number of reasons- As you found the 12v battery will discharge but even more problematic is the Hybrid battery can become discharged/unbalanced also and this will require special charging equipment and procedures to correct. Hopefully yours is just the 12v battery discharge issue.

 

Hi and thank u for the answer. Yes, I do know about the button, that will take the charge for dead 12v battery from the high voltage battery, but what I’m thinking is, if the 12v battery is totally dead and has some errors so even the button won’t let it to be started. The 12v battery is charging the hybrid power unit and I think this one gets the error from battery ( or not correct voltage ) and won’t let it start. Could this be a possibility ?


Hi and thank u for the answer. Yes, I do know about the button, that will take the charge for dead 12v battery from the high voltage battery, but what I’m thinking is, if the 12v battery is totally dead and has some errors so even the button won’t let it to be started. The 12v battery is charging the hybrid power unit and I think this one gets the error from battery ( or not correct voltage ) and won’t let it start. Could this be a possibility ?

 

Another option if you are comfortable with it- remove your 12 v battery take it to any Advanced Auto, AutoZone, O'Rielly's etc and they will test it out for free and advise you on the next step forward- in some instances they may even offer to charge it up for you if it is just low on charge - if you need a new battery they should be able to sell you.

Keep in mind if your Main Hybrid battery has become discharged too low or has an unbalanced charge nothing in the world will start the car until that condition is remedied.

 

remove your 12 v battery take it to any Advanced Auto, AutoZone, O'Rielly's etc

I don't think that's an option with the HEV. It doesn't have a traditional lead acid battery like the PHEV does.

 

Thank you for correcting me. You are exactly right the HEV has a 12volt module - I was thinking of my PHEV.

I appreciate you all catching that.

 

But now is the question, am i thinking right that now when the only way to get the ignition on is to push the button ( then the dead battery gets the quick charge from high voltage battery ) or to put cables on, ignition but still no start, could it be that even this does not give enough power for the 12v battery to power up the hybrid power control unit since it’s dead ( same as let’s say regular bmw, dead battery, I can jump start, but still some stuff won’t work, seats, windows etc. and to get them to work u must replace the battery )

 

Well, you're in the US, so the car is well within its warranty period for the battery (both the traction and 12v battery). You can't start the car if the traction battery has an issue, and if you're attempting to jump it and it still won't start that's a possibility. The dealer now needs to be involved.

 

Yes, dealer time. Get a loaner

 

The 12 volt battery is covered under the 100,000 mile drivetrain warranty from Kia. Really bad luck if you are over that. Will be really expensive. I'd guess the part will be about $1,000 (and a long wait) plus a lot of work by a hybrid trained mechanic that has never done this before and will need Kia tech support. I've only ever heard of one being replaced ever and don't remember if I heard that here or on the Ioniq forum (which has more owners - popular overseas).

 

Do you have any more info on the warranty for the 12v battery in the HEV? Our 2017 Kia Niro HEV w/70k miles on it stopped running a few days ago. I was getting ready for work, started it, was running fine (gas and electric running), ran inside to get something, came back out and out of habit turned it off (still in park). I quickly turned it back on, but then all the electrical flashed, displayed a "check hybrid engine" message, and then completely died. No lights, no electrical. Tried the Battery reset instructions step for step, nothing. Jumped it, lights flickered and clicked, but then died again.

Had it towed to the dealership today. Here's their quote:

Potential Cause: overhead dome light on on arrival. 12v battery failed, does not take a charge. quote 12v battery

Part 1. BATTERY MODULE ASSY- — Out of Stock Part #37507G2120

The overhead dome light being an issue is absurd...I turned that on when trying to get it jumped and the lights were flickering for a brief few seconds. I didn't turn it back off because it died again, so it was off and must have come back on when they tried the same thing.

Quote is ~$1,100 and they say only covered under basic 60k warranty.

I called Kia Customer service, and they said from what they can see, it should be covered under the 100k Hybrid Drive train warranty based on my explanation, but they are connecting with the dealership tomorrow to get their full report. It took them a long time to even find what system it was labeled under. Just based on the tone and attitude of the dealership, I'm not holding my breath. I've also never had to go through the national customer service for a warranty/warranty dispute, so have no idea how to navigate. Any advice/thoughts on all fronts appreciated!

Also, there have been no other issues except MAYBE these two problems?

• A month ago, the entire infotainment system (screen, radio) wouldn't turn off after the car was turned off. Turned it on and off a few times (w/foot on brake) but it took an hour to finally turn off.
• For about the last year the left front blinker stops working intermittently about once a day. The dealership can't figure it out, but of course it starts working when they have it, and stops working when we get home.

 

Hopefully someone else replies to this but I seem to remember that "check hybrid engine" actually being a blown main fuse.

 

My 2 cents for what it's worth... Arm yourself with the paperwork to back up that the 12v. battery is covered under the hybrid warranty which I'm almost positive it is. Make real sure the hybrid warranty applies to you, ie. your the first owner, your not over on years or miles. Then take all your supporting paperwork with you, go into the showroom and speak to the general manager. Speak calmly but loud enough that other people in the showroom can hear you and state your case that the service dept. is screwing around with you and you don't appreciate it ect. Tell them the battery should be covered under the hybrid warranty. Doesn't matter if the dome light was left on or not. Battery warranties don't state that they're only good if the battery doesn't go dead. The warranty doesn't state a clause that it doesn't apply if any lights were left on. Hopefully the general manager will take care of you on the spot, they don't want service customers in the showroom making a fuss. Try searching here and other forums that show people like you getting their battery covered. I'm sure I've read before that the 12v. battery is considered part of the hybrid battery because it's bolted next to the hybrid batter and is in the same box.

 

The 12V battery is an incorrect diagnosis and I doubt replacement will fix the problem. Are they still going to expect you to pay for their incorrect diagnosis and as @FINiro states, the 12V HEV battery (lithium) should have the same warranty as the traction battery.
Click link to this post and read through the whole thread and then talk to the dealer again: Hybrid System Failure

 

Check "xxxx" system gets thrown a lot with a 12 volt battery failure. Random error message and I wouldn't read too much into this. I read this about BEV and PHEV Ioniqs and Niros a lot that have a failing lead acid battery. Caused by a low voltage 12 volt battery, which is saying something when it is a lithium battery normally protected from low voltage incidents by a relay that opens (the battery "reset" button closes that relay and restores the 12 volt system long enough to start the car (which then will charge the battery).

Of course the dome light on is a complete red herring. Don't even bother protesting, it will just make you angry with a poorly trained service manager.

 

Thanks all! I'll update this once I hear back.

Also, unrelated, but wondering if this is common...they have my HEV listed as a PHEV in their system. I've asked about it multiple times today since that would mean different parts. They told me that is automatically pulled into their system based on my VIN number and not to worry about it. It just seems odd...

 

UPDATE: Full technician notes are below. I asked them to check the high voltage fuse referenced here and in other posts, and it appears they agree? I can't tell for sure, but now it's showing as the fuse being free, and $333 in service charges/labor.

Although we asked for a phone call to talk through any changes, we only got a text a message update and our customer service advisor had left by the time we called, so this is all the info I have until tomorrow. I messaged back asking why the part would be covered under warranty, but the labor wouldn't? Also, how is that okay they were 100% comfortable and even pushy in charging me $1,100 for what seems to be a misdiagnosis (and misinformed about the warranty coverage)? If I had approved that, but that didn't fix it, would I have just been out of luck? Anyways, that's just me venting.

Here are the notes, which I don't fully understand:

Line 1. GENERAL SERVICE / REPAIR: DURING WRITE UP CUSTOMER STATES CAR IS COMPETLY DEAD UNABLE TO JUMP START CHECK AND ADVISE
Medium Priority
Potential Cause: overhead dome light on on arrival. 12v battery low. tech purchase li-ion slow charger. put battery on slow charger 12 hours, battery has voltage present. possible enough to test car. reinstall 12v battery, replace 150A main fuse, vehicle still no start. put jump box on vehicle, vehicle starts. let vehicle run 1 hour, cycle key, vehicle starting and driving with no codes present. had to remove battery and purchase low voltage charger to recharge. vehicle not recharging 12v battery due to failed fuse. working as designed with 150A main fuse blown and li-ion battery recharged.

Line 1 Total: $333

---

Line 2. P1B77
Medium Priority
Concern: P1B77
Potential Cause: history P1B77 on arrival, per PS553 upgrade main fuse from 125A to 175A fuse # 375F2 A8170, done

Line 2 Total: $0.00

---

Also, here is the technical service bulletin it looks like Line 2 references (no idea what any of that means, but was at least able to find it): PS553 Kia Technical Service Bulletin

THANK YOU!

 

Sounds like it is time to contact Kia head office plus as @FINiro said, make a scene in the showroom and ask to speak to the general manager.
You should not be paying anything - warranty covered!